Connecticut Sun rookie Elizabeth Williams figuring it out

Published 2:09 pm, Tuesday, August 11, 2015

The Connecticut Sun’s Elizabeth Williams shoots over the Washington Mystics’ LaToya Sanders during Friday’s game in Uncasville.

The Connecticut Sun’s Elizabeth Williams shoots over the Washington Mystics’ LaToya Sanders during Friday’s game in Uncasville.

Photo: Jessica Hill — The Associated Press

Connecticut Sun rookie Elizabeth Williams figuring it out

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UNCASVILLE >> Anne Donovan has seen her share of talented rookies come into the WNBA. She knows the estimated time of impact is easy to predict.

A year ago Chiney Ogwumike looked like a 10-year veteran the first time she stepped on the court. For the latest top five pick to join the Connecticut Sun, it was a much more gradual process.

Donovan would see stretches when former Duke star Elizabeth Williams would score at will in the lane or aggressively swat shots away on the defensive end. But the stretches didn’t stretch long enough and Williams’ playing time was limited early in the season.

Then, in the Sun’s final game before the all-star break, it happened.

Playing on the road against a powerful Minnesota team, Williams was summoned off the bench midway through the first quarter. By the time the quarter was over, Williams had six points. She went on to post her first double-digit scoring game as a pro with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks as the Sun secured a much-needed win.

“It felt good when I got some minutes in a game up in Minnesota right before the all-star game,” said Williams, who will look to build on her recent surge when the Sun play host to Tulsa Wednesday night.

Williams looks like a different, more confident player. She is second in the league in field-goal percentage and sixth in blocks since the break.

“We saw it in training camp, so we knew it was coming,” Donovan said. “But you never know. In the post, it’s harder for the big girls to adjust because there is so much more physicality in the WNBA than there is in college. So it’s a matter of time. She has a great work ethic. All the intangibles are there.”

Some of the rookies taken after Williams in the draft made an immediate impact. However, since July 20, Williams ranks either first or second among rookies in points, rebounds and blocks.

“It’s been a gradual thing, but somewhere around in the middle of that stretch, maybe at Minnesota, you could see that she is just getting more comfortable,” Donovan said. “It has been really timely so (Kelsey) Bone doesn’t have to play 30-35 minutes a game.”

Williams admitted that it took her some time to get to the point of playing the way she knows she can.

“I am trying to bring the confidence that I have in practice to the games, so that is a big part of it,” said Williams, who is 18 of 24 from the field in the last seven games. “Obviously it starts with me being aggressive. When I am aggressive blocking shots or cutting hard to the basket, I know I can (contribute).”